Through ‘seas never before sailed’: Portuguese government discursive legitimation strategies in a context of financial crisis

Abstract

This article aims to discuss the discursive legitimation strategies used by the Portuguese government to legitimate its political action between 2011 and 2014 in the context of the financial, economic and social crisis and the implementation of a three-year bailout programme and consequent austerity policies. Drawing from Critical Discourse Analysis for discussing discursive legitimation strategies, we selected eight political discourses delivered by the Portuguese Prime Minister and organised his discursive legitimation strategies into four main categories: (1)‘state of exception’, (2) blame allocation, (3) no alternative options and the appeal to emotions and (4) effectiveness. We conclude that, between 2011 and 2014, the Portuguese Prime Minister, through the ‘state of exception’ narrative and blame allocation strategies, sought to impose and legitimate governmental political action as the only viable option to overcome the crisis, as well as to reify the idea that austerity policies were the correct path to ensure a sustainable growth and to build a dynamic, prosperous and fair country.